5 tips for unlocking your creative side

Perhaps you've always wanted to have a go at writing a novel, or you see yourself as an amazing painter. Maybe you'd like to start your own business or create a new invention. The thing holding you back? A lack of creativity.

Some people are naturally more creative than others, but that doesn't mean you don't have some incredible ideas locked away in your mind; you simply have to draw them out. Try some of these techniques for unlocking your creative side.

1. Take some time out to think

Sometimes we're so caught up in getting things done that we don't have time to be creative. This goes for work and home life; we have tasks to complete, deadlines to make and chores to get done. It's incredibly important to make time to simply stop and think. Just a couple of hours of free time each week could help you unlock your creative side. Sit down with no distractions, or go for a long walk and let your mind wander.

2. Talk to people

Chatting with friends, family or colleagues about your ideas is a brilliant way to get the creative juices flowing as it lets you see things from another point of view. Speaking to a highly creative person will let you bounce your ideas around, whilst chatting with someone who is more of a practical thinker can be helpful to hone your ideas.

3. Practice makes perfect

Half of the battle with being creative is a lack of confidence to let your creativity shine through. If you're a painter, paint more. Writers should write more. Study techniques or analyse the work of other creative people you admire. By improving your practical skills, you'll feel more confident in using them in more creative ways.

4. Copy others, then make it better

There is no harm in taking someone else's idea and adapting it. If you admire someone's work, you're bound to want to emulate it and learn from it. Painters may find it useful to replicate their favourite artist's work in order to improve their technique, but they can then take it a step further by adapting or adding to it using their own style. The original artwork helped them ignite their own creativity, and in future they will be better practised at channelling their creativity and creating something truly original.

5. Doodle

Scribbling and doodling is often associated with being a child, which is a good thing. As children, we were able to let our minds wander more. Doodling images or scribbling down a few phrases here and there is a good thing; it lets your subconscious thoughts escape and this may be where the creativity lies. A doodle may turn into a rough sketch, and the sketch may turn into a fully formed work of art. Words scribbled on a notepad could be the start of an award-winning novel. If you never allow your childish side to come through, you may never unleash those creative thoughts.

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